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Now that I had finished making my new “ladder” style trellises, I decided to make a second type of trellis, this one is about as simple as it gets. It is a Teepee style made with bamboo canes and some jute string. I made these in several pots to grow my peas in this year. This is a fun and quick project that will add a unique look to any outdoor sitting area.

To make this type of trellis, all you do is place bamboo canes around the perimeter of the pot. You can adjust your number of poles according to the size of your pot, I have 8 poles in a 16″ pot, and I planted 3 peas near each pole.

Cut a piece of string about 2′ long and pull the first four of the poles together and bind them with the string. Leave a tail to tie to the end of the string when you are done.

Make sure you wrap them tight and go over and under to make sure they don’t get away from you. Then pull the other four together around the first four and repeat the tying process again. Tie off the string to the tail you left hanging and it’s done!

This style of trellising works great for potted plants and you can also use this in your garden anywhere you want to get your vines off of the ground, or if you just want some vertical interest.

I have only used this type of support for peas, pole beans and semi-vining beans (about 3′ tall), they may be strong enough to hold cucumbers, maybe even those tiny pumpkins that only get like 4-5″ across but I have not tried a heavier crop on them yet. If you do plant something bigger in your pots (like pumpkins), be sure to plant fewer seeds in the pots so they don’t drain the soil of its nutrients as fast.

Garden space can be at a premium no matter how much land you have. Growing vertically will help you stretch your space to the limits, (without stretching your back to it’s limits), and these simple designs can help to maximize your garden space and increase your productivity.

These potted trellises will add a unique look to any deck, patio or porch, or anywhere else you have potted plants. A few of these placed together in a row near a sitting area will make a nice green “privacy” wall. You can also brighten them up by planting one or two brightly colored flowers in the middle of the pot, which will create a “flower caged in vines” appearance.

If you can think of any other variations let us know how they do. Just remember; if you can’t go out, go up. 🙂